The men and women of Overton County have long been quick to answer the nation’s call to military service. The Civil War era was no exception. In 1861, three short months into the war, Tennessee seceded from the Union, placing the state – and Overton County – in the heart of war.

Although the county was home to six Confederate enlistment units, many men donned Union blue, dividing families and communities. Their stories have endured the test of time, giving us a glimpse of the true cost of what many historians refer to as the Second American Revolution.